Tales of a V8V (illustrated)
Discussion
Hey there Astoholics! Since our last meeting I have to admit that I have not given up, but I have tried to cut back a little... 
I got a bit of lubrication into all the peddles and they have been squeak and noise free since, and T30 torx`d that fuel filler cap and now it pops open first touch of the button. It had certainly been a alignment issue as it was rubbing slightly at the bottom as you suspected Graeme, cheers for that, and while it`s certainly not concentric now, I`ll put that down to hand-made quirkiness, it now works as it should.
Yesterday, was one of those days when a car vacuum became the full pretzel interior treatment... leather cleaning, softening, conditioning, cleaning in the air vents, button recesses, getting the alloy pedals and footrest clean of sundry grub, windows, boot/hatch-back top to bottom, etc. While the car gets a bit of a clean here and there as required, the once over is maybe an annual occurrence, and while I don`t time it, it sucks about 3-4 hours out of your time, but very satisfactory, and of course I become a car snob for the next month. "Hey, are your shoes clean!?"
I got a bit of lubrication into all the peddles and they have been squeak and noise free since, and T30 torx`d that fuel filler cap and now it pops open first touch of the button. It had certainly been a alignment issue as it was rubbing slightly at the bottom as you suspected Graeme, cheers for that, and while it`s certainly not concentric now, I`ll put that down to hand-made quirkiness, it now works as it should.
Yesterday, was one of those days when a car vacuum became the full pretzel interior treatment... leather cleaning, softening, conditioning, cleaning in the air vents, button recesses, getting the alloy pedals and footrest clean of sundry grub, windows, boot/hatch-back top to bottom, etc. While the car gets a bit of a clean here and there as required, the once over is maybe an annual occurrence, and while I don`t time it, it sucks about 3-4 hours out of your time, but very satisfactory, and of course I become a car snob for the next month. "Hey, are your shoes clean!?"
I was supposed to be in Sydney for a shoot next month, however it`s been canned because of Covid-19, so I would happily do a car cleaning if I could recoup the lost income!
Other shoots are on the cusp of dropping too as companies weigh up the pros and cons, and health usually comes out on top, not unwisely. It isn`t a happy time from a self-employed, internationally traveling photographer perspective.
The big photo agencies are in a bit of a crisis mode currently as all the planning for sports events and especially the Tokyo Olympics is having to be reconsidered, the potential disruption is huge.
I hear you, I have a couple properties (in Cannes and Courmayeur, in the Italian Alps) that I rent out but many are cancelling.
I was supposed to go to Lugano today but better not, and my friends are tucked home anyway. On the upper side, driving here in Milan is way more pleasant with less people around.
But great job on the car, it actually reminded me I should treat my leather too. Might do it this weekend.
EDIT: Since Milan and Lombardy are on quarantine, I had nowhere to go and do, so I just came back from the garage.
Leather cleaning and conditioning, first time I did that on the car since April 2019 when I bought it. Leather was really clean already, barely left any dirt on the cloth.
I was supposed to go to Lugano today but better not, and my friends are tucked home anyway. On the upper side, driving here in Milan is way more pleasant with less people around.
But great job on the car, it actually reminded me I should treat my leather too. Might do it this weekend.
EDIT: Since Milan and Lombardy are on quarantine, I had nowhere to go and do, so I just came back from the garage.
Leather cleaning and conditioning, first time I did that on the car since April 2019 when I bought it. Leather was really clean already, barely left any dirt on the cloth.
Edited by EVR on Sunday 8th March 16:03
Good work EVR.
I should imagine there are a lot of people that will have time on their hands with the current situation. Switzerland has added an advisory today in force until April 19 that people should stay home, and any necessary outings should avoid grouping. Most shops and businesses have been shut, along with schools until April 26, so the next month will be predominantly home-bound. (At least Switzerland has not imposed a lock-down like Austria. My friends there tell me that they cannot even go outside for a walk!) I saw this coming, so went for a prolonged drive on Sunday with my son, weather was pretty nice, views typically Swiss, roads not too busy. I saw numerous motorbikes, a couple of Porsches, an Aventador, Gallardo and three Mclarens with the same idea.
While not likely to do anything to the car, I did head out today to pick up some torch-down bitumen membrane to re-roof the winter garden as it developed a couple of leaks over the winter, and seeing as the weather looks like behaving a bit longer that`ll be the first thing on the home DIY list over the next month. Also stocked up on beer and wine, you know, the necessities!
Stay well everyone!
I should imagine there are a lot of people that will have time on their hands with the current situation. Switzerland has added an advisory today in force until April 19 that people should stay home, and any necessary outings should avoid grouping. Most shops and businesses have been shut, along with schools until April 26, so the next month will be predominantly home-bound. (At least Switzerland has not imposed a lock-down like Austria. My friends there tell me that they cannot even go outside for a walk!) I saw this coming, so went for a prolonged drive on Sunday with my son, weather was pretty nice, views typically Swiss, roads not too busy. I saw numerous motorbikes, a couple of Porsches, an Aventador, Gallardo and three Mclarens with the same idea.
While not likely to do anything to the car, I did head out today to pick up some torch-down bitumen membrane to re-roof the winter garden as it developed a couple of leaks over the winter, and seeing as the weather looks like behaving a bit longer that`ll be the first thing on the home DIY list over the next month. Also stocked up on beer and wine, you know, the necessities!
Stay well everyone!
Great plan!
Say, if all of this will be hopefully over for the Concours d'Elegance in Como at Villa d'Este, you should come down! Lots of great opportunities for shooting superb pictures. A friend with a DB7 GTA from Germany might join me.
Cayman Black, you are in Italy too right? Fancy coming north? Anyone else close/interested?
Say, if all of this will be hopefully over for the Concours d'Elegance in Como at Villa d'Este, you should come down! Lots of great opportunities for shooting superb pictures. A friend with a DB7 GTA from Germany might join me.
Cayman Black, you are in Italy too right? Fancy coming north? Anyone else close/interested?
Mr.Tremlini said:
Good work EVR.
I should imagine there are a lot of people that will have time on their hands with the current situation. Switzerland has added an advisory today in force until April 19 that people should stay home, and any necessary outings should avoid grouping. Most shops and businesses have been shut, along with schools until April 26, so the next month will be predominantly home-bound. (At least Switzerland has not imposed a lock-down like Austria. My friends there tell me that they cannot even go outside for a walk!) I saw this coming, so went for a prolonged drive on Sunday with my son, weather was pretty nice, views typically Swiss, roads not too busy. I saw numerous motorbikes, a couple of Porsches, an Aventador, Gallardo and three Mclarens with the same idea.
While not likely to do anything to the car, I did head out today to pick up some torch-down bitumen membrane to re-roof the winter garden as it developed a couple of leaks over the winter, and seeing as the weather looks like behaving a bit longer that`ll be the first thing on the home DIY list over the next month. Also stocked up on beer and wine, you know, the necessities!
Stay well everyone!
Wonderful photo as always!I should imagine there are a lot of people that will have time on their hands with the current situation. Switzerland has added an advisory today in force until April 19 that people should stay home, and any necessary outings should avoid grouping. Most shops and businesses have been shut, along with schools until April 26, so the next month will be predominantly home-bound. (At least Switzerland has not imposed a lock-down like Austria. My friends there tell me that they cannot even go outside for a walk!) I saw this coming, so went for a prolonged drive on Sunday with my son, weather was pretty nice, views typically Swiss, roads not too busy. I saw numerous motorbikes, a couple of Porsches, an Aventador, Gallardo and three Mclarens with the same idea.
While not likely to do anything to the car, I did head out today to pick up some torch-down bitumen membrane to re-roof the winter garden as it developed a couple of leaks over the winter, and seeing as the weather looks like behaving a bit longer that`ll be the first thing on the home DIY list over the next month. Also stocked up on beer and wine, you know, the necessities!
Stay well everyone!
Wish I had your talent.
The subject of servicing intervals has recently raised it`s head on a separate thread, and now seemed like a pertinent time to add a bit of guff from my experience.
When I picked it up my Vantage from the AM dealership in 2015 it involved an extensive Q&A, and on the subject of servicing the coffee peddler said to me that servicing every 2 years is absolutely fine for the car, and of minimal if zero impact on resale within their network. Despite this I did my 2016 and 2017 services at the dealership. In 2018 I took the car to Bamford Rose for mods and decided that at this juncture of taking the car outside the dealer network, the servicing would be a 18 month to two yearly affair, and while the previous service was performed just 5 months earlier, I asked BR to give it the once over while it was in anyway.
I planned my first "extended duration" service at the end of October 2019 in what would have been just over 18 months since the last visit, and I was in conversation with Mike when I had to cancel, as a couple of jobs cropped up that I couldn`t say no to, so advised I would instead look early in the new year. Well, we all know what happened then...
The Covid-19 situation has had many effects, but service durations on Aston Martins is not widely reported! Now that borders have opened and some small degree of normality has returned to travel, I have booked in to BR for early August, 2 years and 4 months since it was last there!!
This is clearly playing havoc with the service history from an inspect-the-book-for-stamps perspective. When it is your car you generally know if anything is out of sorts, and I feel no ill malice in driving the car as everything operates as it should, and if I am keeping the car it does not bother me one bit, however I am well aware of the circumstances and it has changed my mindset in the last six months or so, and I wonder if this is how it is for some owners, that have concerns for resale value, and are hesitant to spin up the odometer, as I have only done around 2000km (1250 miles) in that time.
The other byproduct of the Covid situation, that also bears the above thinking, is that to be honest I don`t know if I will still have the car by the end of the year, as work has been non-existent for an international sports photographer (and his international sports photographer wife) and is not looking to improve any time soon, so an Aston Martin is sadly becoming superfluous given the economic climate. Who knows, it`s all speculation like everything at the moment, although I have already begun looking at cheaper, alternative ways of having vehicular fun if this eventuates... which is quite entertaining way to pass a bit of time, but please not!
When I picked it up my Vantage from the AM dealership in 2015 it involved an extensive Q&A, and on the subject of servicing the coffee peddler said to me that servicing every 2 years is absolutely fine for the car, and of minimal if zero impact on resale within their network. Despite this I did my 2016 and 2017 services at the dealership. In 2018 I took the car to Bamford Rose for mods and decided that at this juncture of taking the car outside the dealer network, the servicing would be a 18 month to two yearly affair, and while the previous service was performed just 5 months earlier, I asked BR to give it the once over while it was in anyway.
I planned my first "extended duration" service at the end of October 2019 in what would have been just over 18 months since the last visit, and I was in conversation with Mike when I had to cancel, as a couple of jobs cropped up that I couldn`t say no to, so advised I would instead look early in the new year. Well, we all know what happened then...
The Covid-19 situation has had many effects, but service durations on Aston Martins is not widely reported! Now that borders have opened and some small degree of normality has returned to travel, I have booked in to BR for early August, 2 years and 4 months since it was last there!!
This is clearly playing havoc with the service history from an inspect-the-book-for-stamps perspective. When it is your car you generally know if anything is out of sorts, and I feel no ill malice in driving the car as everything operates as it should, and if I am keeping the car it does not bother me one bit, however I am well aware of the circumstances and it has changed my mindset in the last six months or so, and I wonder if this is how it is for some owners, that have concerns for resale value, and are hesitant to spin up the odometer, as I have only done around 2000km (1250 miles) in that time.
The other byproduct of the Covid situation, that also bears the above thinking, is that to be honest I don`t know if I will still have the car by the end of the year, as work has been non-existent for an international sports photographer (and his international sports photographer wife) and is not looking to improve any time soon, so an Aston Martin is sadly becoming superfluous given the economic climate. Who knows, it`s all speculation like everything at the moment, although I have already begun looking at cheaper, alternative ways of having vehicular fun if this eventuates... which is quite entertaining way to pass a bit of time, but please not!
I have a bug and insect splattered Vantage parked in the garage, having recently returned home from a six day, 2290km (1423 mile) jaunt from Luzern to the Cotswolds, returning with a Bamford Rose service stamp, new brake discs and pads all round, sat-nav gears replaced, loose headlight sorted, and a couple of other minors taken care of. I know this is more mileage than many owners do in a year, but an enjoyable drive for a good reason.
BR was slammed, close to 20 Aston`s on the premises when I dropped off my car. While awaiting pick-up I stayed at The George Townhouse, five minutes away in Shipston-On-Stour. It was a comfortable spot to while away the days, the menu was small but good, beer cold, gin plentiful, and the service entertaining, it`s nice to have staff with humour!
The day I drove away from BR with the car perky and tight, it was announced that England was about to enforce the 14 day quarantine when arriving from France, so it seems I got in and out just in time!
On the trip home I swung off the autoroute and stopped at the disused Circuit of Reims-Gueux. I had seen photos of this historic track several times before, and that it was fully accessible on an existing road.
The pits and grandstands painted with vintage advertising still stand on either side of Rue du Moutier as everyday traffic drives by, hinting at what once was. The track operated from 1926 until closing permanently in 1972. Below is an old clip from 1956.
It`s well worth a stop if you`re in the area or passing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMgX3tn_CpY
BR was slammed, close to 20 Aston`s on the premises when I dropped off my car. While awaiting pick-up I stayed at The George Townhouse, five minutes away in Shipston-On-Stour. It was a comfortable spot to while away the days, the menu was small but good, beer cold, gin plentiful, and the service entertaining, it`s nice to have staff with humour!
The day I drove away from BR with the car perky and tight, it was announced that England was about to enforce the 14 day quarantine when arriving from France, so it seems I got in and out just in time!
On the trip home I swung off the autoroute and stopped at the disused Circuit of Reims-Gueux. I had seen photos of this historic track several times before, and that it was fully accessible on an existing road.
The pits and grandstands painted with vintage advertising still stand on either side of Rue du Moutier as everyday traffic drives by, hinting at what once was. The track operated from 1926 until closing permanently in 1972. Below is an old clip from 1956.
It`s well worth a stop if you`re in the area or passing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMgX3tn_CpY
Brilliant pictures as ever Dean, that color remains my favourite be it pictured in B&W or colour. On maintenance, think service once every two years will not impact residual too much, biggest issue in my country is finding a reliable independent.
Hope you can hold on to that beauty. Our road trip is still on in September, ping me if you are up for joining a day.
Hope you can hold on to that beauty. Our road trip is still on in September, ping me if you are up for joining a day.
Edited by JB65 on Tuesday 18th August 09:09
JB65 said:
Brilliant pictures as ever Dean, that color remains my favourite be it pictured in B&W or colour. On maintenance, think service once every two years will not impact residual too much, biggest issue in my country is finding a reliable independent.
Hope you can hold on to that beauty. Our road trip is still on in September, ping me if you are up for joining a day.
Thanks Jurgen, me too! Keep me posted on September, closer to the time I can make a spontaneous decision!Hope you can hold on to that beauty. Our road trip is still on in September, ping me if you are up for joining a day.
I understand re; independent, that`s why I drive north. You`re even closer to BR than me, what would it be, about 500km via the Hoek van Holland?
EVR said:
This is precious, as I have this idea in my mind to drive from Milan to Bamford Rose once the clutch will need replacement.
It`s only about another 250km each way... you can go over the Gotthard for some added smiles! I`ve driven the Vantage up to the UK three times now, I don`t find it any hardship at all.
Dear @Mr.Tremlini
Having just devoured this entire thread with the gusto usually reserved for a steak & ale pie (washed down with a few glasses of Palmers), I must congratulate you in equal measure for both your photography and wordsmithery. However, I must also respectfully request that you CEASE AND DESIST IMMEDIATELY for I am sure, as someone actively engaged in seeking their first Aston Martin Vantage, that used values of said vehicles have been significantly bouyed by your actions!
Seriously - thank you, as you have also dispelled any lingering doubts I might have had about buying one. Hope your obvious love affair with yours survives the current situation.
Having just devoured this entire thread with the gusto usually reserved for a steak & ale pie (washed down with a few glasses of Palmers), I must congratulate you in equal measure for both your photography and wordsmithery. However, I must also respectfully request that you CEASE AND DESIST IMMEDIATELY for I am sure, as someone actively engaged in seeking their first Aston Martin Vantage, that used values of said vehicles have been significantly bouyed by your actions!
Seriously - thank you, as you have also dispelled any lingering doubts I might have had about buying one. Hope your obvious love affair with yours survives the current situation.
Old Chimer said:
Seriously - thank you, as you have also dispelled any lingering doubts I might have had about buying one. Hope your obvious love affair with yours survives the current situation.
For many Aston Martin owners, their car often becomes the second love of their life. A work of art to keep and enjoy, both for looks and to drive, when you can listen to the gorgeous sound.
It must be one of very few makes of car, which has that extra special something. Difficult to describe, but a mixture of beauty, history, the amazing story of survival, racing and for over 50 years, a steady job in the world of film.
Something else to encourage you. Nowhere near Dean's standard of photography, but you may like to see a little snap of mine (1 of only 7 in UK) visiting it's birthplace and sparkling in the sunshine.
Keep looking for the specification car you want and drive it into your garage.
Dewi 2 said:
For many Aston Martin owners, their car often becomes the second love of their life. A work of art to keep and enjoy, both for looks and to drive, when you can listen to the gorgeous sound.
It must be one of very few makes of car, which has that extra special something. Difficult to describe, but a mixture of beauty, history, the amazing story of survival, racing and for over 50 years, a steady job in the world of film.
Something else to encourage you. Nowhere near Dean's standard of photography, but you may like to see a little snap of mine (1 of only 7 in UK) visiting it's birthplace and sparkling in the sunshine.
Keep looking for the specification car you want and drive it into your garage.
Old Chimer said:
Dear @Mr.Tremlini
Having just devoured this entire thread with the gusto usually reserved for a steak & ale pie (washed down with a few glasses of Palmers), I must congratulate you in equal measure for both your photography and wordsmithery. However, I must also respectfully request that you CEASE AND DESIST IMMEDIATELY for I am sure, as someone actively engaged in seeking their first Aston Martin Vantage, that used values of said vehicles have been significantly bouyed by your actions!
Seriously - thank you, as you have also dispelled any lingering doubts I might have had about buying one. Hope your obvious love affair with yours survives the current situation.
Having just devoured this entire thread with the gusto usually reserved for a steak & ale pie (washed down with a few glasses of Palmers), I must congratulate you in equal measure for both your photography and wordsmithery. However, I must also respectfully request that you CEASE AND DESIST IMMEDIATELY for I am sure, as someone actively engaged in seeking their first Aston Martin Vantage, that used values of said vehicles have been significantly bouyed by your actions!
Seriously - thank you, as you have also dispelled any lingering doubts I might have had about buying one. Hope your obvious love affair with yours survives the current situation.
Thanks so much for the kind words, which I value highly coming as it does from a clear pie aficionado! Fingers crossed for us all 
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